18 states in path of winter storm

CNN) -- When she was very young, Kayla Avery was used to playing in the snow. But the former Boston resident hadn't seen much of the white stuff since she moved to Arizona more than a decade ago.
She got a reminder Wednesday.

"We received a blizzard warning last night through the emergency broadcasting system. Most of us didn't believe it," she told CNN iReport. "Most of the news reports said it probably wouldn't snow in the valley, and two hours later it was snowing."

Avery, a 19-year-old student at the University of Arizona, said the snow was still falling Wednesday afternoon.